Chapli Kabab (Chicken)

Kabab or Kebab has a nice ring to it, it brings a smile on my face whenever someone utters that word. My mind starts getting images of get-togethers, fun with friends, with some beer or wine in the vicinity(yaasss),  jamming sessions, or a fancy restaurant, sometimes dhaba style restaurants too :) etc. etc. So in short, this dish brings happiness to me. It is served as an appetizer mostly during parties and get together's!
Of course, one shouldn't stop at that,  make it at home, in your kitchen whenever you feel like :)
I call it a 'Happy Side Dish'

It is a cloudy rainy day today in my town and I was craving for some chatpata (spicy peppery) snack. Had some minced chicken in the fridge, thought of making these chapli kebabs. Very easy to make, use the spices on hand, make patties and fry it in the oil!

  

Chapli kebab is a Pashtun-style minced kebab, usually made from ground beef or mutton with various spices in the shape of a patty. It originates from Peshawar in Northwest Pakistan and is also known as the Peshawari kebab.

The chapli kebab is a popular barbecue and street food in parts of Northern India, Pakistan, as well as in eastern Afghanistan. It can be served and eaten hot with naan bread, rice, or in burgers and sandwiches such as a Bun kebab or stuff in Pita Bread. Or just have as an appetizer with chutney dip, sliced onions and lemon wedges on the side.
Can't wait to dig in, every time I make something like this!

Here is the recipe for Chapli Kababs,

Ingredients:

• 1 16 0z  minced chicken pkt (or get chicken thigh or breast and grind using the blender)
• 1 med size onion chopped finely
• 2 tomatoes chopped finely (squeeze the water out)- I used cherry tomatoes :)
• 2-3 green chilies chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2- 1tsp chili powder flakes (if you don't have, take dry red chili and crush it)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds crushed in a mortar n pestle ( coarse coriander seeds pwd, a must step in chapli kababs)
• 1 cardamom crushed
• 2 cloves crushed
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour ( optional, if your mixture gets little soggy, add this)
• Oil to fry

Deep fried chapli kababs

Shallow fried Chapli Kebab

Preparation:

• Take a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except oil. Patties mixture should be dry enough. 
• Take a bowl of water at the side to dip your hands, while making patties. 
• Heat a pan with little oil in it. You can either deep fry it, which will taste awesome or shallow fry it(I like it this way)
• Take a small portion of the meat mixture and make patties by flattening it, you can give any shape you want. Traditionally it is given an oval shape. 
• Place in on the hot pan, it should sizzle. Let it cook for 3 minutes. Then flip and again cook for another 3 minutes or till done. Cook on medium flame. 
• Strain it out and place on the paper towel to absorb extra oil. 
• Serve hot with sliced onions, chutney etc. 

You may also enjoy Seekh Kebabs, Chicken Lollipops, Tofu Pan fry, Zucchini Paneer Flapjacks etc.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits:
Chicken is one of the best non-vegetarian sources of protein. It is lean meat, which means that it contains more amount of proteins and less amount of fat. Apart from protein, chicken is rich in several minerals like phosphorus and calcium, that helps keeps bones in mint condition. Also, it has selenium which has been known to cut a risk of arthritis.Chicken has two nutrients that are great for reducing stress – tryptophan and Vitamin B5. It boosts immunity (remember how we eat chicken noodle soup when we are sick?) and promotes good heart health as it is rich in vitamin B6, plays an important role in preventing a heart attack. so I say YAY to chicken!

Chicken Over Rice (Halal Cart Style)

Manhattan (New York) and halal cart food go hand in hand!! As you walk past the over populated streets and corners of the city, aroma of the amazing warm spices from the chicken and rice hits you and you will find yourself standing in the long lines before you even realize what happened:) Serving lunch to late-night, these carts dish up a container full of chicken over rice that is so rich and yet so subtle, hitting the spot that's absolutely crave-worthy and totally worth your time standing in those long lines!! Its street food at its best Manhattan is world's melting pot where best of best cuisine is served. A grand treat for your taste buds.

So coming to the cart food, this particular meal is served with perfectly seasoned grilled chicken or beef over flavorful rice with their secret sauces, one so hot that fumes may come out of your ears and other yogurt based mild cooling sauce. It serves as a comfort food for the exhausted tourists after a grand site seeing day!

Witnesses literally swear by the food and the rush hour actually begins after midnight! Yessss! this takes me back to the streets of Mumbai where such famous spots like Bade Miya in Colaba and Khyber in Kala Ghoda are known for their kebabs (check out sheekh kebabs and chapli kebabs) and fast food that is more famous than any other 5 star hotels in the vicinity. I am actually slightly drooling thinking about all these places and the food

I thought of making it at home and got recipes online from yourhomebasedmom and dinneranddessert blogs. Since I liked the sauce from both sites I mixed up the ingredients :) I was happy with what I found and the outcome.
Now to my delight the halal guys have started their franchise and one is open right by my house... Yay!! But I can still cook at home and be happy :)

Let us get to the recipe of Chicken over Rice Halal Cart Style!

Ingredients:
For the chicken: 

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (you can use dried oregano too)
• ½-1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 1½ tablespoons) 
• ¼ cup light olive oil 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper (1 tsp)
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6 to 8 thighs) 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil 

For the rice: 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• ½ teaspoon turmeric 
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1½ cups extra long-grain or Basmati rice 
• 2½ cups chicken broth 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

White Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• handful chopped fresh parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper (1/2 tsp)
• 2 tsp sriracha sauce

To serve:

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• red onion rings
• cucumber chopped (optional)
• Pita bread (optional)

Preparation:

Chicken

• Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth and well combined.
• chop chicken to bite size pieces and apply the marinade evenly. Season the marinade to taste with salt and pepper.
• Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade. Do not marinate for longer than 4 hours. If need to wait longer, remove chicken from marinade and pat dry and refrigerate until ready to use.
• When ready to use, season with salt and pepper, going heavy on the pepper.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking.
• Add the chicken pieces and cook without disturbing until they are lightly browned on the first side, about 4 minutes.Turn the chicken and reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through for another 3-4 minutes. Don't overcook or else you will end up with dry pieces.

Fragrant Rice:

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy pan. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 30 sec (don't burn it). Add the rice and stir to coat.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Yummy Sauce:

• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, black pepper and sriracha sauce. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt. 
• Refrigerate for 1 hr or until ready to use.
• To serve, divide the rice, lettuce, tomato evenly among four to six plates. Pile the chicken on top of the rice. Top with the white sauce. Serve immediately. Have extra sauce on hand.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

You may also like 

Falafel

Tabbouleh

Mediterranean Salad

Thank you for dropping by. Your feedback is much appreciated.

Chicken Ghee Roast

Ghee Roast is fairly a new addition in my list of authentic drool-worthy chicken recipes. Ghee (clarified butter)  Roast is a very popular Mangalorean Chicken recipe whose origins go back to a small town, Kundapur, close to Mangalore. Chicken Ghee Roast has a fiery red, tangy and spicy flavors as it is cooked in the (asli desi) ghee with freshly roasted spices and NO COCONUT :) Ya people, a fantastic coastal dish with no coconut :) This I can say is one ass kicking dish without blinking my eyes :) It actually reminds me of Ethiopian dish Doro Wat that is served with Injera, cause this is cooked in clarified butter too :)

My generation uses oil very wisely meaning sparingly :) My mom wouldn't blink to add dollops of ghee/butter/oil while cooking :) Her nose always wrinkles up when she sees me cooking :) [she actually goes into a mocking mode] I always keep complaining to her saying 'why my mutton curry doesn't turn out like yours?' or even as simple as Poha she makes for breakfast doesn't turn out as yummy when I make...:) She flat out tells me 'You know why' :):) -- sighhh [But I am glad we have chosen a healthy lifestyle using less of everything :)] My folks are learning and trying their best too :)

I never cook anything in ghee (solely) except for gulab jamuns, that too, like once in a while. This dish calls for cooking your chicken with spices in GHEE ...YASSS! So I treat it like a VIP dish that gets cooked in my kitchen on a special occasion or whenever I need to get into an ass kicking mode hehe kidding! It's RICH, it's FLAVORFUL, it's TANGY and not to mention it's FIERY!

There are various recipes out there for ghee roast. You cannot substitute ghee with oil for this preparation, else you will have to rename the dish as just roast chicken :):) You can play around with the spices if you like but a big NO when it comes to clarified butter, just stick to the recipe here ppl :)

Look no further, let's live a little by diving into all the fatness/goodness of meat, spices and ghee.
Same recipe can be used for shrimp too.

Here is the Chicken Ghee Roast Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken or 6-7 chicken drumsticks or 3 breast cut in cubes. ( I prefer bone in chicken)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp jaggery or 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4th cup yogurt
• 1 1/2 inch ginger piece
• 3 cloves garlic (big)
• 1 tsp kashmiri chili pwd
• marble size tamarind piece
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup Ghee
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 1 sprig of curry leaves

To Roast:

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp peppercorn
• pinch fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 10-12 dry red chili (byadgi/kumta chilies)

Preparation:

• Clean the chicken, cut it into big bite size pieces. If using drumsticks, just roughly run the knife through it to make cuts, so that marination is done evenly.
• In a pan roast the ingredients under 'to roast' for 2-3 minutes till you smell all the aroma of the spices. Transfer it to a blender. Grind along with ginger, garlic and tamarind. Add little water or yogurt.
• Now marinate the chicken with this ground paste, yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and kashmiri chili pwd. Keep it marinated for at least an hour. Remember, more you marinate the meat better the curry will taste!
• In a kadai, heat ghee (clarified butter), add chopped onions, sprinkle little salt and saute till translucent. Add marinated chicken and don't leave out any extra paste from the bowl. Mix everything nicely and add jaggery(or sugar) to balance out the spiciness. 
• Cook the chicken till done around 15-20 minutes on med heat. Keep stirring in between. Adjust the spices if need be (some like more tangy or more spicy etc).
• Garnish it with cilantro, and curry leaves. Serve hot with Roti, Dosa, Neer Dosa, Rice etc.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

You may also like

Kori Rotti
Chicken Curry
Chicken Molagu

Health Benefits: Chicken is a very good source of protein. It helps one build muscles, keeps your bones healthy, relieves stress, boosts immunity and promotes heart health. Always buy organic or a good quality chicken and try to include it in your diet regularly.

Baked Chicken Tikka (Whole)

I usually tend to bake a whole Chicken during Thanksgiving occasion. Turkey is traditionally roasted during Thanksgiving but is too bland and too big a bird for me, so I turn to my all favorite chicken. Let me tell you one thing, when you bake this bird in your own oven the satisfaction you will get is out of this world :) [ I know, animal right activists better stay away from this post :)]

It is very simple to bake, all you have to do is clean the chicken nicely, make your masala(marination) and stuff it inside out, then say a small prayer and leave it in the oven to work its magic! :) My kid is thrilled whenever I bake a whole chicken! I also like to stuff it with biryani sometimes [ that recipe some other time :)] 

I usually place the roasted bird on a bed of some fancy rice preparation and then serve it with baked beans, brussel sprouts, smashed potatoes, some soup, and a dessert making it a full fledged calorie loaded meal! 

So for now, let us take a look at the Baked Chicken Tikka.

Ingredients:

• 1 mid-size chicken (whole)
• 1/2 packet chicken tikka masala (shaan)
• 5 tbsp lemon
• 4 tbsp oil( or butter)
• 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder (that gives color like Kashmiri or Byadgi) 
• pinch orange color (optional)
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2-3 tbsp butter (for basting)
• salt as per taste 
• 4 tbsp vinegar (for cleaning chicken)

Preparation:

• Clean the chicken nicely inside out with some water and vinegar. This also takes away the raw smell of the chicken. Make small cuts all over the chicken with a sharp knife, so that when we coat the masala it gets in it and marinates well.
• Make a mixture of 1 tbsp lemon + 1 tbsp oil/butter + 1 tsp ginger garlic paste + 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder 
• Coat the inside of the chicken with this paste.
• Now make a mixture of chicken tikka masala + 4 tbsp lemon juice +3 tbsp oil/butter. Coat the outside of the chicken with this paste nicely. Tie those chicken legs together with a thread.
• Marinate it for good 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove it from the fridge and preheat your oven for 400F/200C. Take a baking tray and place cooling or grill rack over it and then place the marinated bird on it.
• Baste with butter all over it and bake it for 30 minutes. 
• If you like it nicely roasted, apply butter or oil every 15 minutes. 
• After 30 minutes, flip the chicken and bake for another 30 minutes. Every oven can have slightly different settings. So after 1 hour of cooking, test it by piercing with a sharp knife, if the knife comes out smoothly that means your chicken is done.
• Lastly just put the oven on a broil mode for say 3-5 minutes to get those burnt marks. 
• Take it out and serve with Masala Bhat, Beans, Lemon Wedges, Sliced Onions, Raita etc.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* I like spicy marination on my Chicken as per my taste buds, you can go easy with chili powder and take little less portion of tikka masala as well.

Health Benefits: Chicken is one of the best non-vegetarian sources of protein. It is lean meat, which means that it contains more amount of proteins and less amount of fat. Apart from protein, chicken is rich in several minerals like phosphorus and calcium, that helps keeps bones in mint condition. Also, it has selenium which has been known to cut a risk of arthritis.Chicken has two nutrients that are great for reducing stress – tryptophan and Vitamin B5. It boosts immunity (remember how we eat chicken noodle soup when we are sick?) and promotes good heart health as it is rich in vitamin B6, plays an important role in preventing a heart attack. so I say YAY to chicken!

Halloween Pizza Mummies (Pastry)

Halloween is one of the fun festivals of the year for kids and adults (well, originally it was not:)). It is a holiday that is described as spooky, haunting, supernatural, eerie, scary, fun, creepy and ghostly. Children simply look forward to it, as they get candies unlimited, get to wear their favorite character costume and get together with their friends to go trick or treating. Few enthusiasts throw costume parties and many of them decorate their yards and homes with haunting decor, smoke, spooky music, lights etc.

And then there is a whole other event of carving pumpkins! Every one gets very creative and carve some real great art on it.

Wolverine with the carved pumpkin :)

Every festival comes with its own set of food preparations and flavors, without which the celebration is incomplete :) People get really innovative making all sorts of spooky dishes during halloween. Internet buzzes with scary, gross, fun, bloody recipes heheh. This one here is a simple, quick and fun recipe for the kids made from frozen puff pastry, I named it as "Halloween Pizza Mummies Pastry". I wanted to stuff it with some fruits but my kid wanted a pizza stuffing in it, so that is what I had to make. You can stuff it with anything you like, say fruits, paneer burji stuffing, egg stuffing or keema stuffing just about anything.

If you are interested in knowing what halloween story is all about, read this:
Halloween falls on October 31st each year in North America and other parts of the world. The story goes like this, this holiday was originally called All Hallows' Eve, and it marked the beginning of a three-day feast to honor dead Christian saints, also known as hallows. The celts and the pagan cultures thought that, during late autumn and early winter, spirits were more likely to cross back into the human world to seek revenge on those people who had wronged them. Food offerings were made to appease angry spirits. People began dressing up in costumes to imitate ghosts, sprites and evil spirits. They hoped to blend in with or conceal themselves from restless and vengeful ghosts.

Devil and the Transformer with a scenic backdrop of fall colors !

Trick or treating symbolizes the act of appeasing angry ghosts with food in order to avoid their mischievous pranks. Jack o' lanterns were created to ward off ghosts. Although Christians have tried to redirect the focus of the holiday from ancient pagan rituals to honoring the saints, some have still kept some of the traditions, such as placing candles on the graves of the dead.

But as years past by, Halloween is not usually considered a religious holiday anymore. It is primarily a fun day for children. Children dress up in costumes like people did a thousand years ago. But instead of worrying about evil spirits, they go from house to house. They knock on doors and say "trick or treat."

(taken from history.com)

Let us take a look at the Halloween Pizza Mummies recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 packet frozen pastry puff (I made of 1 sheet and got 6 mummies:))
• 1 egg
• 1 small red onion sliced
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce (or marinara sauce)
• 1 chicken sausage cooked and sliced
• 2-3 mini peppers sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or any cheese)
• few store bought eye candies ( or use olives)

Preparation:

• Thaw the frozen puff pastry for 45 minutes on the kitchen counter (or follow the instructions on the package).
• On a wax paper, open the sheet and sprinkle some all purpose flour on it, roll it out smoothly using rolling pin, just couple of inches on all the sides.
• Follow the pictures above to make cuts, first big squares. Then mark a rectangle cut in the centre and horizontal small cuts on each side.
• In the centre rectangle, place pizza sauce, top it with your fav toppings, I have used onions, mini peppers, chicken sausage, cheese. Then braid it by taking a strip from each side and overlapping it tightly and neatly.
• Beat an egg in a bowl, give the mummies an egg wash by using a brush.
• Place it on a baking sheet and bake it on 400F(200C) for 15 minutes. Take it out and place the candy eyes on it to make it look goofy :) My kid was thrilled and it was my pleasure to see him gobble it all :)
• Enjoy it with fries and your favorite drink :)

You may also like Pastry Flag Pizza, Dosa Flag, Pastry fruit Cups.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Idea adapted from www.homeandplate.com

Throwing in one more halloween pic here while I am at it :):)

always fun to wear costumes!

Kori Rotti Curry ( Mangalore Style Chicken Curry with Rice Wafers)

Kori Rotti is a very authentic and traditional dish from the Bunt (Tulunadu) community, Mangalore/Udupi region. It is a chicken (kori) dish made with fresh spices and coconut
+coconut milk, a thin gravy that is poured over bite-sized rice wafers (rotti) and savored with both hands :):) he he I am kidding,  just use 1 hand to eat, that should be enough:). Avoid using spoons and forks..no fun there! But let me warn you, it is a messy deal :) roll your sleeves up before you attack the kori rotti,  just like sloppy joes :)

My first face to face encounter with Kori Rotti was in 1998 at a wedding of a Nepali neighbor with a Bunt girl. And that's when I tasted this beautiful dish and never forgot the taste. The preparation of kori rotti curry is more or less like my (coastal) home preparation but the combination of eating it with the rice wafers (rotti) is unique and very very tasty.

Rotti is basically made from rice like dosas but it is paper thin in texture. When you pour that kori curry over it, it soaks in the goodness of the curry and gets soft and soggy. It then gets irresistible :) It is readily available in the stores. My mom was amazed to know that I get it here in USA, while she literally smuggles it out of Udipi whenever my relatives travel or someone from the town visits the place :). So 3 cheers to US of A :)

I am a big fan of coconut-based masalas while preparing meat. The flavors are simply exotic and as the meat marinates in the masala, bingo! the flavors hit the spot!

This recipe is shared by my bestie Ranjana Shetty (Her mom's recipe). And no, she is not related to Shilpa Shetty or Sunil Shetty.. or maybe she is :):) I cannot thank her enough as this one is a keeper and a fantastic tasting kori ghashi (coconut masala curry). 

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 2 lb chicken (6-7 chicken thighs with bones)

To grind Masala:

• 4-5 Cloves
• 1 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
• 5-6 peppercorns
• 1 small or 1/2 big onion - thinly sliced
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 7-10 red dry chillies
• 2-3 tbsps coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 6-7 seeds of fenugreek
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
• 3/4th cup of grated cocount
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 marble sized tamarind piece
• salt as per taste
• 1 tsp +1 tbsp coconut oil

To Marinate:

• 1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste

• 1 1/2 cup thin coconut milk*
• 1/2 cup thick coconut milk*
• 2 tbsp oil/ghee
• 2 onion sliced

Preparation:

• Chop the chicken thighs into big bite size cubes. Marinate it with turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, and salt. Keep it aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the cloves, cinnamon and pepper corns for a couple of minutes and transfer to a blender.
• Next add the red dry chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and the fenugreek seeds in the same oil. Once fried well you can transfer it to the blender.
• Take a1 tbsp coconut oil and this time fry the sliced onions. Once it gets slight brown add the garlic pieces into it, along with the poppy seeds and the fennel seeds. Lastly, add the grated coconut into it and fry just a little for the coconut to turn a little reddish brown.
• Put all of these fried items into the blender and add turmeric powder and tamarind into it and add enough water into the blender and grind into a fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil/ghee into the cooking vessel, add 2 sliced onions and fry well. Add marinated chicken into it. 
• Fry the chicken for about 5 minutes then add the ground masala into it and let the chicken cook in the masala. You can add a little water to it along with salt to taste. 
• After 15 minutes, add coconut milk into it and let it boil. Note that the curry should be thin and runny as the rotti should be soaked well in the curry to get the perfect taste. 
• You can add the seasoning of 1 onion cut into small pieces and fried in ghee to the cooked chicken curry.
• Serve hot and enjoy with the crisp rotti's crushed well.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* You can use store bought coconut milk tins, or powder, or simply take 2 cups of grated coconut, add water and pulse it in the blender for few times. Sieve the water and that is your coconut milk. Repeat the process for 2-3 times.

You may also like Chicken curry, Banne Nawab Biryani, Bhatkali Biryani, Egg Biryani...

Health Benefits: 
Most curries contain turmeric, cumin, cardamon, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds- these are spices with strong anti-bacterial properties. That's why they're found in dishes from hot countries, where meat needs to be preserved. Chicken, as we know is loaded with proteins. Coconut helps to get rid of bad LDL. Rotti is made of rice which is low in calories.